Eight Sleep adds a pricey blanket and speakers to its Pod 5 sleep system

Eight Sleep is launching the Pod 5, the fifth generation of its expensive smart sleeping system. It packs two main upgrades: a temperature-controlled blanket and speakers that can play “soothing soundscapes.”

The Pod 5 builds on top of Eight Sleep’s existing tech, shipping with the same temperature controlled mattress cover and height-adjustable base that Eight Sleep says helps to reduce snoring. The new blanket complements the cover by syncing up with it, delivering the same water-powered cooling and warming range of 55 to 110 Fahrenheit, but now from all around you. Just like the existing cover, you can set different temperatures on each side of the bed to avoid midnight squabbles.

The other big addition is a set of surround-sound speakers integrated into the updated base. Eight Sleep has worked with neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman on a set of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) guided meditations “for achieving deep relaxation and restorative states.” There’s also a selection of white noise and other calming sounds, which can be set to turn off once you fall asleep, or keep playing all night if you prefer.

Eight Sleep is also improving the Pod’s health tracking with Health Check, a new report in the Eight Sleep app. It monitors users’ heart rate and breathing during sleep, and “AI-powered algorithms” will flag any issues in the morning.

My colleague Victoria Song tested out Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra last year and apparently had the best sleep of her life. That would be great, if it didn’t come at such a high price: the Pod 5 starts at $2,849 for a full size Core model that only includes the mattress cover and a hub to power it. The price jumps to $4,099 to add on the blanket, and $6,099 for the adjustable base and speakers, and there’s a mandatory subscription too, which starts at $199 per year.